An accident involving an SUV and a motorcycle has resulted in fatal injuries to the rider. The accident is a reminder of the vulnerability of motorcycle riders, as well as one of the most common ways that riders are hurt in motorcycles accidents.

Failure to yield right-of-way leads to crash

The accident occurred in the city of Henderson during the morning rush hour on Tuesday, October 24, 2017. At 8:23 am, a motorcyclist was struck by a Honda Pilot at the intersection of Boulder Highway and Galleria Drive. According to law enforcement, the driver of the SUV appears not to have yielded the right of way to the motorcyclist. The driver of the Pilot remained on the scene of the accident and cooperated with a preliminary police investigation. She did not show signs of intoxication or other impairment.

Right-of-way crashes are a common cause of motorcycle accidents

This type of collision, where a motor vehicle cuts off a motorcycle when turning in front of or into the motorcycle, is far from a rarity. Safety experts assert that the most common cause of motorcycle accidents is when passenger vehicles fail to yield the right-of-way to motorcycles. There are multiple theories as to why these types of accidents are so common. One major cause is that drivers of passenger vehicles fail to accurately assess the speed of the motorcycle due to its size. In clinical studies, drivers are often unable to gauge the speed of oncoming motorcycles as accurately as they can larger vehicles. Another common cause is that, if a driver is distracted by their phone, they may be more prone to missing smaller objects like motorcycles when scanning the road ahead, and thus more likely to miss an oncoming motorcycle.

In some cases, motorcyclist speed is also a factor in these right-of-way crashes, where the motorcyclist might have escaped injury from a crash had they been traveling at the speed limit. However, in a review of crash reports involving motorcycles conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the passenger vehicle driver was found to be the cause of the crash in 66% of all accidents. Nevada motorcycle riders who have been injured in a right-of-way crash may be entitled to money damages for their injuries and pain and suffering via a personal injury lawsuit.

If you’ve been hurt in a Nevada collision and need help getting the money you deserve for your injuries, contact a dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled Henderson personal injury attorney at the David Boehrer Law Firm at 702-750-0750.